MESA, Ariz. — A Phoenix teenager who received a text invite to a grandmother's Thanksgiving dinner by accident ended up meeting the family Thursday and grabbing a bite to eat.
Wanda Dench thought she was texting her grandson to invite him to dinner in a group text, but she was actually texting Jamal Hinton, 17.
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Hinton asked who was texting him and was told it was his grandmother.
"I really thought it was my grandma so I had to ask for a picture to make sure," Hinton told BuzzFeed.
The result was a selfie exchange from Dench to which Hinton replied, "You're not my grandma!"
But Hinton asked if he could still get a plate of food despite the mistake. Dench replied, "Of course you can. That's what grandmas do ... feed everyone."
KNXV reported that Hinton joined Dench's family for dinner and is now her "honorary grandson."
When Hinton arrived and shook Dench's hand, the two soon embraced for a hug.
"I'd never seen her before and she welcomed me into her home," Hinton told KNXV. "That shows me how great of a person she is. I'm thankful for people like that."
Dench told KNXV that the positive response she's gotten has been a good thing.
"This wasn't me. It's come from God above," Dench said. "He's just using us as his tools and vessels to bring a message to others."